Jerry Rice: Accuracy, not race, the issue with Cam Newton

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 21, 2011, 10:05 AM EDT

AP

As Auburn quarterback Cam Newton continues to face more scrutiny than any other player in this year’s draft, some observers — including Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon — have said they see racial bias in the way Newton is being scrutinized.

But another Hall of Famer, Jerry Rice, sees things differently. Rice said this morning on ESPN Radio that he believes African-American quarterbacks were discriminated against in the past, but that the league has advanced beyond those days.

“I think the NFL is so much further now,” Rice said. “I don’t think race is a factor.”

Rice said he has met Newton and came away impressed, both with Newton’s attitude and with what an imposing physical specimen Newton is. But Rice said that there are legitimate questions about whether Newton has the tools to be a pro-style passer.

“It’s going to boil down to accuracy,” Rice said. “He’s going to have to be able to drop back, plant himself and deliver that football. During his workouts the ball was a little high, all over the place.”

Ultimately, that’s the only question that matters about Newton: Whether he can transition from a great spread-offense quarterback in college to a great pro-style quarterback in the NFL.

Of course accuracy is important, but that is not the biggest question.
Does he know what to do with the football?
Can he make pre snap reads of the defense, take the ball under center, drop back, turn again, see what the defense has now done, and then know where the football should go? There simply is not much evidence to make that decision with. But if he can’t do that he will never have real success in the NFL.

I do not know how a combine with no wind, defense, pass rush, or visual obstacles could result in a 52% completion rate, when shorter NFL QBs do that with game pressure, a blitz, blockers in front, defensive backs, noise etc and average about 60% or more.

There will not be true equality until The minority is the majority… Where it matters!
The ownership, front office, and QB position. Until this happens in about 30 years the good ol’ boy is going to go with his own. This is not just in the NFL but the entire USA. Jerry knows what I’m talking about, and I’m not talking about Jerry Rice.

Cam Newton is getting a lot of scrutiny, not because he’s black, but because he’s the Heisman Trophy winner and the QB from the BCS championship team, Auburn. Of course people know his name more than Gabbert or others.

Warren Moon made a blithering fool of himself w/ regard to this issue. Very disappointing, from a guy that I like. He went on every outlet that would listen to him….then promptly did absolutely nothing to explain the “race” element. Worse yet, when Rich Eisen (or any host) gave him the opportunity to clarify, he’d bring up the challenges he faced in the late 70’s; nothing remotely pertinent to how Newton was being evaluated in 2011.

People there were no glaring red flags on Russell or Leaf, no drug rumors, no character issue, or even their drive to compete. If there was and speaking for all the guys that missed, they all looked like franchise quarterbacks coming out of college. Alex Smith, Vince Young, Matt Leinhart, Brady Quinn etc…my point? We wont know anything until the end of year two. The thing the NFL teams wont ignore on Newton is his production, which in the NFL is the only thing that matters in the end. So its silly to look back and say this kid had red flags or this kid will be a bust. There are no can’t miss prospects so let wait and enjoy the draft.

It’s funny how everyone else outside of the sports media and their followers see them for who they are but they are too blind and arrogant to do so. As usual a black man comments on the behavior of how the media is intentionally race-baitng a black kid and he’s accused of playing the race-card. So what do they do to apease their egos, especially when the attack on the kid was intentional, run out to get anyone to say that the treatment against Cam isn’t motivated by race…So they can continue to push their malicious HATE towards him for no real apparent reason except they can.

Hmmmm…PFT, we know that Cam’s skills and his abilities has nothing to do with his race and legitimate questions should be asked of ALL the QBs. BUT, we also know that that isn’t what’s happening with Cam nor Mallett, as a matter of fact. And the excuse of your treatment towards him is that YOU need to know if he’s NFL ready, because of how high he is on the draftboard, but in the meantime, the other QB, Blaine Gabbert, who is in the running neck-to-neck with Cam is having all kinds of excuses made for his LACKINGS…

Yes PFT, we all really beleive that your intense scrutiny of everything Cam is done because you want to make “sure” he’s NFL ready and not the fact that your trying to help any of the Condon boys pass him for the number one position. Noticed that none of those boys, Blaine, Peterson, Or Daruis, are being scruitinized as heavily but they are being pushed hard by you folks to go off the board first. No agenda behind your attack on Cam and Mallett at ALL PFT. Just trying to “MAKE SURE.”

Good luck Cam, Mallett and Jake. The media already seem to have their “catty” claws out against you. Especially you Cam. Don’t beleive they don’t.

if you have not seen it yet google cam newton jon gruden interview. you won`t be seeing red flags, you will be hearing 120 decibel air raid siren from one foot away. what a big dummy. please buffalo, please don`t take him.

BRAVO JERRY, doesn’t matter the color of your skin if you are a QB and if you are a QB that can get the job done , you will get drafted. Race has nothing to do with it. You have to be able to deliver the football , white or black. Everybody just wants to win, Warren Moon and guys like him just don’t get it

Good for you, Jerry. While I’m sure this is a popular stance that a lot of athletes (not just those who happen to be black, either) are privately taking about the situation surrounding Newton, it is important that someone with Rice’s credibility has the guts to say it. Most of those who think race is a factor also think that NFL teams are run by white, money hungry geezers who are racists…that being said, do you really think they wouldn’t select the person who could bring them in the most success/cash, regardless of race?

blitzburghgator says:
Apr 21, 2011 10:32 AM
On the other hand, I will disagree with Jerry about accuracy being the only concern with Newton. Cam is a thief, a cheat, a lier…..and all of this is FACT.
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Hmmm..blitzburghgator, judging by the amount of trouble the kids at your school get into on a weekly bases, Cam did the best thing ever by getting the hell out of that school. And, your right, stealing and cheating isn’t a color thing at UF cause just last week three B’Ball players, all white, from your school and one of the trainer, also white, were arrested for auto theft. And it seems you don’t train them to be very smart either cause unlike Cam throwing a lap-top out of the window, these intelligent kids were talking back and fort with one of the suspects on their cellphone in the back of the police car and got TAPED…How smart…

But ESPN and PFT failed to post that story. I guess cause such behavior are like a dime-a- dozen at your perfect school. Maybe the lying cheating and stealing is a criculum at your school….hmmmmm..

And FYI…”lier” is spelt LIAR…Seems you folks are too bright down at UF either.

Anyone who downplays smarts at that particular position is either kidding themselves or in complete denial. A Wonderlic score is certainly not a definite indicator as to how they’ll play the position but I’d give it some merit. More importantly, it has to be about maturity, leadership and decision-making.
Newton is a huge hit or miss, IMO.
It’s so similar to Vince Young’s final year at TX, where Mack Brown simply threw out 50% of the playbook and just let “Vince be Vince.” It led to a National Championship for Texas and huge Draft Day money for VY…but a horrific waste of a high draft choice and boatloads of money for the Tenn. Titans.

With Jerry Rice, accuracy is an issue and race is not, but with the majority of the nation, race is an issue. Jerry Rice can only speak for himself.

Cam Newton is getting judged as if he played 3 seasons in the NFL. Warren Moon himself said that Newton needs to work on his footwork and accuracy. What Warren Moon and many other people have a problem with is when it gets personal, when you talk about stuff that is non-football related like “fake smile” or comparing him to JaMarcus Russell or Akili Smith.

If you say he isn’t accurate, then that’s not racist. It is what it is what it is, he is not accurate. But comparing him to JaMarcus Russell and Akili Smith isn’t fair, and can be seen as racist.

gooboy6 says:
Apr 21, 2011 11:16 AM
BRAVO JERRY, doesn’t matter the color of your skin if you are a QB and if you are a QB that can get the job done , you will get drafted. Race has nothing to do with it. You have to be able to deliver the football , white or black. Everybody just wants to win, Warren Moon and guys like him just don’t get it
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It’s funny that the dya after Moon said what he did, I read an artcle that laid out exactly to the letter how the predominately white sports media and their followers would handle what Warren said and oh my God, to the letter, that is exactly how it unfolded. Even down to getting a black athlete, who is part of their family to say almost exactly what Rice said..Why haven’t you folks change? Why are you still so DEEP in denial of your view of blacks that you not only race-bait them but when confronted you swear up and down that that isn’t quite what your doing. Then you slap any black man that say exactly what you want to hear and hold them up as your new hero…SUCH HYPOCRITS…blind ones at that.

What I don’t understand is why Carolina, with the first pick, would consider drafting a QB with all the same concerns as the QB they drafted the prior year. Also, Clausen hasn’t had any time to develope in the NFL where Newton has only had one year of division 1 experience. Yes, he dominated the season but Clausen was pretty good in College too in a pro style offense, not a spread offense.

I think all the talk of where Newton may go in the draft has a lot to do with accuracy. But, that doesn’t account for all the “other” talk about Newton. Not saying it’s definitely his race that’s making it so prevalent but, it’s also definitely not about accuracy either. Remenber when Vince Young came into the league and Donovan McNabb had said Black QBs are talked about worse than white QBs(or something like that)? I wonder if VYs response has changed its tune a bit.

Completely unclear to me how is Cam Newton being judged “as if he’s played 3 years in the NFL” and the other QB prospects are not.
Footwork questions apply to any QB that did not regularly take snaps under center in college.
Newton certainly didn’t impress during that Gruden interview and that has nothing to do with the sincerity of his smile.

Can I applaud? I mean the entire assertion by Moon was a classic case of “projection”. He needs to see a shrink about it. Jerry gets it right–other than leaving the part about Newton’s massive ego being a concern. I thought Newton was atrocious on Gruden’s show. And the stumbling around about the vernacular of calling a play? THAT was embarrassing–and he didn’t seem to care. Doesn’t mean anything since he’s never been exposed to that–but that’s why he shouldn’t be the #1 pick (or even top 10). Big risk. Yes–he may turn out to be a great one. But personally, I wouldn’t risk more than a middle 1 or early 2 on the guy. Maybe moving down the draft will humble him a bit and light a fire under his ass.

I think JR is correct in saying that a qb must be accurate in the NFL to be successful, but I don’t think accuracy is Cam Newton’s problem. Yes he struggled at the combine, his pro day was better, but during the 2010 season he showed tremendous accuracy (66.1%). I think where Newton becomes a huge risk as a high draft pick is his ability to call plays. I’m not saying he is dumb, by any stretch, but he was not asked to carry the mental load at Auburn. Some coaches/players held up signs that had colors and numbers on them for everyone to see…that was the play. If Newton were drafted in the second round with no expectations and the ability to sit and learn for two years, he may turn into a great QB. I don’t think anyone with knowledge of him has ever said he is lazy. Quite the contrary, he is an extremely hard worker on the filed, in the weight room and in film study. The problem is as a top 3 pick, he is going to be expected to play – game 1. With the lockout/shortened offseason Newton will have little time to assimilate the playbook and while he is still thinking “what is everyone doing on this play” some outside LB is going to knock Newton into next week. I think it is a mistake for any team to take him so high and put his chance for success very low.

jon gruden: its like learning a whole new language. you are going to have to learn french in a big hurry son…..razor-16-double trap2-slant left-dig dig sprint, on three! anything like that similair in the auburn playbook? cam newton: uh, yeah. 36……WTF was that kind of answer? 36?

So it takes a black man to say his accuracy blows for it not to be racist? Every white man who has said Rice’s exact words was branded a racist previous to this… Wake up America, Newton will be a bust and everyone knows it, they are just afraid to say it…

Although his contribution to the game and tremendous work ethic are undisputed, I was never that wild about Rice during his playing days. But he’s really winning me over in his post-playing career. This was a calm, measured, unemotional assessment of what’s wrong with Cam Newton. And Rice’s comedy bits on Dancing With the Stars each season are hysterical. Not many athletes would be so willing to poke fun at their macho images.

His self confidence aside, Newton is indeed a physical specimen and great athlete. But I don’t think he’ll make it in the NFL because of what’s between his ears, he doesn’t seem very bright. Don’t know the kid but doesn’t promote an air of sharpness.

I just realized you whine a lot. Doesn’t seem to help the Browns win games, though.
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Thank you, Deb. I don’t know what I, and the other posters, would do without your witty criticism. Or without your motherly scoldings. Or without your righteous female indignation. Or your failing attempts at humor.

Why is everyone so surprised about the racist label when you disagree with a black man? Obama is leading the way on this front since I’ve been told that if I disagree with him, then I’m a racist.

The only ones who bring up race are minorities because if they don’t have that argument, they’ve got nothing. They think we’ll shut up and wither when they throw out that word. Just ask Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Would we even see those two clowns if they didn’t race bait over every issue?

There are legit concerns over Newton’s footwork, accuracy, decision making, AND character (Did no one read about his father’s dealings with pay for play? If his Dad was involved, then so was Cam. He could have stopped his father, but didn’t step up.).

On top of the aforementioned concerns, I’m personally VERY leary of guys who only start for one year at QB. I predicted Akili Smith would be a bust mainly because he only started for one year at Oregon. He had a great year, but it was one year.

An earlier post showed stats for Newton and the other QB prospects. While his numbers look better, he threw about half as much as the other guys because he bailed out and ran a lot. He didn’t stay in the pocket and make his progressions. That’s a concern at the next level! He’s not as fast or shifty as Vick, and even now as Vick is older, he’s getting hammered! Look at the hit where Washington nailed him. He wound up mising games. When Vick was younger, he would have been past those 2 defenders before he got sandwiched. Newton will get smashed with that style of play now because he’s not as shifty or as fast as Vick was when Vick was Newton’s age.

My opinion? Newton projects more like Vince Young. He’ll be in the league for a bit, but he won’t make a mark in it. He might have a good rookie or 2nd year, but he will regress like VY because of injury, which will be as a result of his style of play.

I think with such an emotionally charged subject we have to consider that some posters will “pretend” to support the “racism” view on this and misspell their comments to appear ignorant and uneducated,whatever that implies.At least one post sure sounded like it.I’ve seen people clown like that to see how many thumbs they’ll get.Regardless, you must respect Jerry Rice.The racism has been in the comments.

Delusional, too, I see. You and your little friends spend a heckuvalot more time posting snarky comments, criticisms, thumbs down, and jackass comments to me than I could post at your guys in a lifetime. What would I do without the junior high peanut gallery?

@440doginthe407 …

Multiple witnesses in Georgia gave statements that the woman advertising herself as “down to f***” trailed Roethlisberger from club to club buying her own drinks on a fake ID and pinching his butt to get his attention. Multiple witnesses stated that she propositioned him repeatedly and that she initiated a highly sexualized conversation with him. Multiple witnesses, including the club owner, refuted her sorority sister’s tale of the bodyguard at the door, which also conflicted with the accuser’s own written statement. And the medical exam showed that the accuser didn’t have intercourse with anyone that evening–and vaginal rape is the only thing she alleged.

Those are the facts straight from the police files and the district attorney’s press conference. I know you little ones like to make up your own facts, but you’re supposed to outgrow that by the time you reach puberty.

Just because Jerry Rice is the “Greatest” WR off all time, doesn’t makes him the ambassador of black quarterbacks.

The black QBs in the league would agree more with Moon than they would Rice because Rice never been a Black Quarterback.

Not only I have an issue with how black quarterbacks are treated, I have an issue on how white receivers and runningbacks are treated.

Last year, Toby Gernhart was this years Cam Newton. Saying like “lack of speed” or “he doesn’t have what it takes” were used against him. In shorts Gernhart is probably not the most athletic, but when it is game time he produces.

Silly steroetypes are the reason why:
1.) Warren Moon wasn’t draft
2.) Peyton Hillis was drafted in the 7th round and then traded to the browns.
3.) Gernhart wasn’t a first rounder.

I should ask Dan Marino about Gernhart and Hillis, and I bet he’ll give the same response like Rice did because Dan Marino isn’t a White Running back or Receiver.

First off, Ryan Mallet has a lot less baggage than Cam Newton, Mallet projects to be a better pro than Newton, yet Mallet has suffered way more criticism than Newton… probably because he’s white and criticism of a white QB won’t offend anybody, even if it’s largely undeserved, while criticism of a black QB is usually met with cries of racism, even when said criticism is/was absolutely deserved.

Second… Rice is right. Inaccurate scrambling QB’s like Newton have never been very effective in the NFL. It’s guys like Mallet, with fantastic accuracy, that get the job done.

@deb
Sorry g ma. Mr. No means no has been accused of this before. Which means he’s not very bright to find himself in the same situation again. By the way to say I’m a junior would be incorrect.
Ps stop cheering for your husbands football team and go back to watching dancing with the stars

Ohhhh …. you’re not a junior, you just play one on PFT. Well, I’m not old enough to be anyone’s grandma, darlin’. I just assume I’m dealing with juniors because usually a man’s … um … manhood doesn’t shrink when he encounters a woman who has a brain and loves a masculine sport. That’s the only masculine thing about me. And no, I didn’t pick it up from some guy.

As for Ben, I’m experienced at covering legal issues and have spent a lot of time researching his. Only two accusations. Nevada sent text messages the day after their one-niter saying she couldn’t wait to see him again … but a $3 million civil suit is a powerful motivator to lie. When Ben declined the Georgia woman’s invite to a private party at the sorority house, her friend started ragging him about the Nevada case and he threw her out of the party. That friend instigated the rape accusation and made up the story about the bodyguard. Revenge is a powerful motivator, too.

“Which means he’s not very bright to find himself in the same situation again.” Bingo! Although that’s putting it mildly. Great QB. Awesome idiot.

ARE YOU SERIOUS!!
OJ was a RB to start.
A criminal trial ended with a not guilty verdict.
A Civil trial ended with a guilty verdict & a monetary award.
There was enough evidence & a background of the police being called on domestic abuse charges to bring OJ to trial.

Ben is a QB!!
He has never formally been charged with any crimes.
No Criminal trials.
No Civil trials.
Never have the police been called with any woman that Ben KNOWS, claiming domestic or physical abuse.
Been may be the first player in major sports history (gamblers excluded) that was suspended without ever being arrested or charged.

The above comparison of OJ & Ben has ZERO to do with race & you know it, you are stirring sh*t for no reason with that dumbass talk. LASTLY, NONE OF THIS HAS ANTHING TO DO WITH CAM NEWTON.

@axespray
The color of a players skin doesn’t matter. What does matter is their character. When discussing QB character issues its hard not to bring up Ben aka no means no. Regardless of fact that he wasn’t convicted,he was accused, not once but twice. Deb tried to clear Bens’ name in some long rant about the girl being dtf and how witnesses saw this all going down. None of that matters,what matters is he put himself in that situation again. With that said, there’s not enough terrible towels in the world to cover that up that mess. On a side note bleachers report has him on a list of top 25 most hated figures in the NFL. Not only because he’s a steeler but because he’s been accused of rape twice.

Its always funny how you white people are quickly ready to label someone as playing the race card, You all will never know what it feels like to experience racism. All of you all are criticizing moon for his comments but that man experienced racism so if some of the things he’s hearing about newton sounds familiar then maybe thats why he’s saying it racism.

Bottom line if Cam Newton was white he would be considered a winner. You would see his story ran on ESPN ab out 30 times a week demonstrating his winning attitude, his desire to be successful, how he was just being a kid when talking about the mistakes he made.

You all keep talking about Mallet even though he’s not, he should be critized more than newton, (i really hope not because i like watching him play) but the kid could be a potential drug addict.

“Its always funny how you white people are quickly ready to label someone as playing the race card”

This says it all. The reverse racism in this type of statement is gallingly ironic & even more amazing is that anyone would follow it up with a rant about not knowing what it’s like to experience racism. At this point in our ever changing society, every race has or is experiencing racism, especially the reverse racism that is so apparently underlying but always ignored by the accusers making a statement like the one so eloquently worded above.

My comments don’t have anything to do with race, team allegiance, or character. They are about evidence. I’ve made similar arguments for Ray Lewis, who is African American and a Raven, because the evidence shows he made foolish decisions but didn’t kill anyone. The evidence in Ben’s case shows he made foolish decisions but didn’t rape anyone.

I didn’t invent the medical exam or the witness statements, 440doginthe407, but simply stated what was in the record and what the DA explained to the public. He said the accusations were alcohol-fueled and he hoped the sorority women had learned their lesson. Those are not the comments of a long-serving DA watching a celebrity get off for lack of evidence. You can double-check anything I’ve posted. But you’d rather just declare guilty a man the authorities declared otherwise and make childish comments about “Deb” trying to convince people of his innocence. As a one-time rape victim, I don’t lobby for rapists no matter where they play.

axespray, Ben is my team’s QB, but he’s not my favorite player and I marvel at his stupidity. He needs a keeper. On the other hand, when I was little, I thought O.J. was the greatest. Used to cut out pictures of him and everything! Loved the guy. Believed he was innocent. But he wasn’t. Even if the evidence didn’t convince you, he has proved that with his own statements and behavior through the years. It breaks my heart to see what he’s become.

Of course, racism exists in the world, the nation, the league, the comments on this blog, and the criminal justice system. But all these cases have an abundance of evidence and it’s very clear.

Jerry Rice of all people……Jerry in college played for Archie the Gun Slinger Cooley in a offense that went way past the spread of today. Wide open no back sets all game long. From the moment I saw him play I knew he was the ONE. I felt the same when I saw Cam for the first time……He Is the ONE!!!

Hmmm..blitzburghgator, judging by the amount of trouble the kids at your school get into on a weekly bases, Cam did the best thing ever by getting the hell out of that school. And, your right, stealing and cheating isn’t a color thing at UF cause just last week three B’Ball players, all white, from your school and one of the trainer, also white, were arrested for auto theft. And it seems you don’t train them to be very smart either cause unlike Cam throwing a lap-top out of the window, these intelligent kids were talking back and fort with one of the suspects on their cellphone in the back of the police car and got TAPED…How smart…

But ESPN and PFT failed to post that story. I guess cause such behavior are like a dime-a- dozen at your perfect school. Maybe the lying cheating and stealing is a criculum at your school….hmmmmm..
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The arrests of these whites do nothing to elevate Cam Newton’s character.